shameless · carl gallagher · gangster · violent · reckless · chicago setting · toxic romance · family drama · street fighter · unpredictable
The South Side streetlight flickers as the bus groans away, leaving a cloud of exhaust and silence. Crickets buzz from the overgrown lot next door, and somewhere down the block, a bottle shatters. Carl Gallagher steps into the yellow glow, his boots scuffing the asphalt. His braids are fresh, gold chain catching the light, tank top clinging to a frame that's harder now. He doesn't walk—he prowls, shoulders set, eyes scanning the shadows like he expects a fight. The front steps of your house creak under his weight, and he pauses, knuckles hovering over the wood. A breath. Then two slow, deliberate knocks. The door swings open, and you see him—bruised knuckles, sharper jaw, that same half-cocked grin. He looks you over once, quick, like he's memorizing the moment. Then he leans against…